‘Africa-tough’ portable phone charger is a business in a box
Given the importance of mobile devices in today’s world, making phone charging easier is something that numerous projects have set out to achieve. We’ve already seen Richard Nicoll’s charging handbag enable users to charge on-the-go, although this device is aimed at a western audience that can recharge the bag once they’re in the office or at home. Catering for the African market, the eChaja is a solar-powered portable charger that helps users make money by offering charging facilities in remote locations. READ MORE…
Telephone turns speech into text in real-time
Japanese firm NTT DOCOMO’s Hanashite Hon’yaku app has already harnessed speech-to-text software to translate calls between people speaking different languages. Aimed at seniors, the Amplified Captioned Telephone by Clarity uses similar technology to help those with hearing difficulties better understand what is being said over the phone. READ MORE…
Instead of business cards, contact management app puts a face to each name
Not long ago we wrote about CallApp, a caller ID application that displays contacts’ social media information, and recently we came across a like-minded effort in the world of contact management. Going beyond just social media integration, Canadian Cardign adds a facial recognition capability that lets users put a face to each name. READ MORE…
Photo messaging app makes shared images disappear within 10 seconds
The success of Instagram has shown that photo sharing is now a standard part of the mobile world, but Snapchat offers a different take on this. Whereas Instagram presents photos as a stream from the people a user follows, Snapchat is closer to text messaging and sends photos only to friends the user chooses. Even more intriguing, it gives those friends only a few seconds to view them. READ MORE…
Made-to-order phone focuses on calling a select set of preprogrammed contacts
In this era of ever more sophisticated smartphones, the need for a “simple phone” on the market has become increasingly evident. Enter the OwnFone, the latest entrant in this trend-defying category that adds a twist of personalization to the mix. READ MORE…
Simplified Russian phone incorporates emergency SOS feature
It was only a few months ago that we wrote about John’s Phone, which claimed to be “the world’s most simple phone”. Now we’ve discovered Space phone which — while perhaps not quite as simple as John’s Phone — offers features specifically targeted towards the elderly and children. READ MORE…
Phone box transformed into informal book exchange
As economic pressures have threatened public libraries with closure from lack of funds, the rise of mobile telecoms has rendered public phone boxes effectively redundant. Making the best of two seemingly unrelated developments, the UK-based PhoneBoox has converted a leftover phone box into an informal book exchange for the community. READ MORE…
The PhoneBoox book exchange from James Econs on Vimeo.
